Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- advanced age
- previous osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture
- acute back pain
- asymptomatic
Other diagnostic factors
- history of long-term corticosteroid use
- kyphotic deformity
- loss of lumbar lordosis
- localized tenderness
- loss of standing height
- loss of sagittal balance
Risk factors
- older age (>50 years for women and >65 years for men)
- previous osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture
- low body weight
- recent weight loss
- family history of low bone mass/osteoporotic fractures
- smoking
- white or Asian race
- postmenopausal status
- secondary amenorrhea
- alcohol (>2 units/day)
- corticosteroid use
- glucocorticoid excess
- hyperthyroidism
- vitamin D deficiency
- low calcium intake
- rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune connective tissue diseases
- endocrine disorders (e.g., hypogonadism, hyperparathyroidism, hyperprolactinemia, acromegaly, hypercortisolism, hyperthyroidism)
- gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, malabsorption syndromes, post-bariatric surgery)
- liver diseases (e.g., biliary sclerosis, sclerosing cholangitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis)
- dietary disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa/bulimia, inadequate diet, total parenteral nutrition)
- neurologic disorders (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, spinal cord injury, long-term immobilization)
- renal disease
- type 1 diabetes mellitus
- organ transplantation
- bone-losing medications
Diagnostic investigations
1st investigations to order
- plain x-rays
Investigations to consider
- CT spine
- MRI spine
- bone scintigraphy
- positron emission tomography
- bone densitometry scan
- CBC
- bone profile (including serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase)
- C-reactive protein
- blood cultures
Treatment algorithm
anterior column involvement only
multiple column involvement
Contributors
Authors
Nasir A. Quraishi, LLM, FRCS
Consultant Spine Surgeon & Honorary Clinical Associate Professor
Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery
Queen’s Medical Centre
Nottingham
UK
Disclosures
NAQ declares that his institution has received research support from Medtronic.
Opinder Sahota, FRCP, DM, FHEA
Professor of Orthogeriatric Medicine & Consultant Physician
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Nottingham
UK
Disclosures
OS declares that he has no competing interests.
Jeremy Fairbank, MD, FRCS
Professor of Spine Surgery
University of Oxford
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
Oxford
UK
Disclosures
JF declares that he has no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Sheldon Jacobson, MD, FACP, FACEP
Chairman
Department of Emergency Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York
NY
Disclosures
SJ declares that he has no competing interests.
Micky Malhotra, MBBS, DTCD, MD, MRCP
Consultant Physician
Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Wigan
UK
Disclosures
MM declares that he has no competing interests.
Differentials
- Muscular pain
- Spinal stenosis
- Pathologic fracture
More DifferentialsGuidelines
- Bisphosphonates for treating osteoporosis
- Raloxifene and teriparatide for the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fragility fractures in postmenopausal women
More GuidelinesPatient leaflets
Osteoporosis: what treatments work?
Osteoporosis: questions to ask your doctor
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